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Elena of Avalor: The Importance of Disney’s First Latina Princess

Elena of Avalor is Disney’s first Latina princess and the series is inspired by Latin American culture.

I was a 90s kid who liked playing with dolls. I grew up with Ariel (Little Mermaid) and Belle (Beauty and the Beast). I remember how the most sparkly and glittery stuff in the dolls store aisle were about these two Disney princesses.

A few years later, when Pocahontas came out, I was in that weird period of transitioning from dolls to other interests. Although I still watched the movie, I didn’t ask for a Pocahontas doll for Christmas. I had moved on from that fun stage.

It took several years for me to get interested again on Disney princesses. In fact, it was actually my daughter, the one that wanted to wear Cinderella dresses all day long, that pushed me back to that magic world again.

One day when I was thinking how peculiar it was that for the past three Halloweens, the only thing she insisted on being was Cinderella, things clicked for me. Cinderella was HER! Her http://onhealthy.net blond hair and fair skin were like Cinderella’s. She saw herself on that doll.

Now that was a new thing to me since I never experienced the same about Ariel, Belle or other character when I was my daughter’s age. Most of the dolls in the market had blond hair and blue eyes. Nada como yo.

Elena of Avalor: Disney’s First Latina Princess

On July 22, Disney Channel will air the adventures of the very first Latina princess, Elena Castillo Flores. (Isn’t that a cool name?) As a Latina mother who wants to instill cultural pride in my daughters, this is exciting!

I watched the trailer with my girls and loved finding many components of my culture. From the festive music to the architecture, it felt so authentic.

It makes me happy that many Latino kids will see themselves and their culture in this Disney princess. Elena of Avalor represents identity and another invitation to promote heritage and language to our children.